A WINCHESTER care home has been criticised by health watchdogs just months after its former manager was thrown out of nursing.

St Cross Grange in St Cross missed several Care Quality Commission standards after an inspection in April.

It comes after former manager Anne Taylor was struck off in March after allowing a 94-year-old patient to choke to death in 2009.

The CQC report found the home did not meet nine out of 10 'essential standards', including safety and leadership.

It revealed residents had been transferred to a new building before it was ready to occupy, and that there was a lack of staff.

The report said: “We found that the provider's lack of effective communication and leadership had made a negative impact on the way people were cared for, kept safe, and involved in decision-making.

“People using the service had not been fully involved in decisions relating to the building work, and complaints had not been responded to.”

At the time of the inspection the home was without a manager as an interim had left in March. Former boss Stolika Radeva remained registered manager despite leaving in November 2012 as records had not been updated.

But the report noted some residents said staff were “brilliant” and “put in 150 per cent”.

Stuart Cross, deputy chief executive at parent company Greensleeves Homes Trust, said most problems came about due to building difficulties but were being resolved.

He said: “The welfare and comfort of residents at St Cross Grange is our absolute focus.

“We have undertaken an extensive rebuilding programme which has been complicated by the discovery of a problem with the water pipes.

“These have been replaced and the home is now ready for occupation.

“However, there was a necessity to move residents within the home to allow the work to be done. This created a number of short-term problems which CQC highlighted in their inspection.”

Mr Cross added: “We recognise that there were some management and communication issues during this time.

“We resolved these by transferring one of our most experienced and respected managers to St Cross Grange while we recruited a permanent home manager.

“We are delighted that Teri Packer, who has many years experience running care homes, is now in place.”

He said the problems were being taken seriously and an action plan had been put in place to remedy them.

A Nursing and Midwifery Council hearing threw Mrs Taylor out of nursing in March, and heard her likened to Adolf Hitler by former colleagues when giving evidence.